Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to honour a former holder of the immigration portfolio, a Labor giant and a personal friend in Nick Bolkus. Nick and I first met at a time when I was working for the Australian Republic Movement and he was the shadow Attorney-General, which I think means I owe Malcolm Turnbull for the first time that I met Nick Bolkus. Back then was when the Senate was dealing with whether or not there would be a vote for a constitutional convention, which ultimately did happen. We did really well in the convention vote and then really badly in the ultimate referendum vote. That was the first opportunity I had to meet with Nick. And then, some years later, after I was preselected, he remembered the earlier meetings and, effectively, to some extent, just adopted me. We were from different states, different factions—we got along well, and that was enough. To now be in a situation where I'm the custodian for this government of one of the portfolios that he advanced so brilliantly for the Hawke government and the Keating government is a really significant honour.

When I was first preselected, it was Nick who knew parts of my electorate better than I did, even though I'd lived there my whole life. On visits, like to Saint Basil's nursing home, I'd find myself—as a lifelong resident, having grown up only a few kilometres away from a site—being introduced, by someone from a different state, where the personal relationship that Nick held with people was deep and real and valued.

He offered to do a fundraiser for me—and, actually, when I heard that Aria was running in the state parliament, I desperately wanted to go and do a fundraiser for her, but they're not legal in South Australia, so the intention was there but I wasn't able to help Aria in the way that Nick had helped me. But he said to hold a different sort of event, because he recognised—I was running and the previous speaker, Steve, was running at the same time—it was the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square decision, the immigration decision. And, because it was Nick, we had those students coming—not because it was an event for me; they just wanted to see Nick again—to probably one of the biggest events I've ever held. But the amazing thing was: almost everybody just brought flowers, and there was a presentation, like you were at a wedding, of flowers, with student after student wanting to go forward to basically just give a gesture of thanks to Nick Bolkus. If you think about how significant it was for them: of course, the protesters themselves, with the tanks coming down, were students, and, therefore, to be a student in Australia at the time—people were really scared, and that decision from the Hawke government was life-changing for them, and fundamentally a good thing for Australia to do and a real part of nation-building.

In opposition, as shadow Attorney-General during the Howard government's changes to native title, he played the leading role in what, to this day, is still the longest-ever debate in the Senate. It went for more than 100 hours—although that was largely Nick's fault, because 900 of the amendments had been moved by him.

I've always had a large Greek community within my electorate. Boundaries have changed, but there's always been a big Greek community. No-one should underestimate the extent to which Nick Bolkus is loved—absolutely loved—and admired. And it's not simply because of the story that he tells: the story of being the first Greek Australian to serve in cabinet—of course that's huge—and of being the son of Greek migrants who came to Australia between the two world wars, travelling in steerage for a months-long journey. Of course that matters. But it also was just the values and decency of the man.

Because of the nature of elections and Senate timetables, there was a brief window, of just over six months, when I was in the same caucus as Nick Bolkus, when I was first elected, as the Senate time started to wind down—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11:23 to 11:43

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